Will Smith is banned for 10 years from academy events including the Oscars

Nearly two weeks after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday it is forbidding Smith from attending any academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.“This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the academy, ” the organization’s President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in an open letter to members following a meeting of the organization’s 54-member board. “We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted. ”Smith, 53, quickly issued a statement Friday that read: “I accept and respect the academy’s decision. ”The news comes one week after Smith — who went on to win the lead actor Oscar less than an hour after striking Rock — resigned from the academy, calling his actions “shocking, painful, and inexcusable. ” By resigning, Smith preempted what many expected to be his potential suspension or expulsion from the academy. But the organization, under pressure to hold Smith accountable for the violent outburst that derailed the Oscars and stunned millions of viewers, was determined to press ahead with the disciplinary proceedings it announced the day after the ceremony. With its actions Friday, the academy stopped short of rendering Smith ineligible for consideration for future Oscar nominations. The actor has a film from Apple called “Emancipation” slated for release this year. In the run-up to the board meeting Friday — which was moved up from April 18 following Smith’s resignation — questions swirled over what steps the academy would take to punish one of the film industry’s most bankable and generally well-liked stars. The organization’s code of conduct, enacted in 2017 following the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal, gives academy leaders wide latitude in the disciplinary measures they can undertake for violations of the group’s standards, ranging from a simple reprimand to expulsion and loss of eligibility to receive future Oscars. In the wake of the Oscars, the academy faced fierce criticism over its handling of the incident, with many questioning why Smith was not removed from the Dolby Theatre after striking Rock and yelling profanities from his seat. In a statement last week, the organization said Smith “was asked to leave the ceremony but refused, ” even as it expressed some misgivings over its own decisions that night. But conflicting accounts quickly emerged, with Smith’s camp disputing the nature of the academy’s request, further muddying the picture of what happened backstage in the tense and chaotic minutes after the altercation. In their letter Friday, academy leaders expressed regret over their own handling of the incident and expressed gratitude to Rock for “maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances